Freaked Out Inside the Durston X-Mid 1 Solid

Testing out the New X-Mid 1 Solid from Durston Gear in strong wind and heavy rain. After I've used this tent a few times I will do a proper review but for now I just want to spend a few nights in it.
🍃Leave No Trace
🍂 If you would like to help me out, simply hit the Like button and hopefully you can join me on the next one. Chat to you soon.
Cheers, Jason 🙌
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[@RamblingOn]

This was my first time to use the Xmid 1 solid and therefore this video is not intended to be a review. Just a guy out for a night on the hills and talking about his new tent. It would be unfair of me to a full review without having used it in different conditions over a period of time. I will give my own honest opinions of my own experience with this tent. The good and the bad will be highlighted. 🍃If you would like to help me out, simply hit the Like button and share the video around. It makes such a huge difference to the channel, thank you for the support everyone. Chat to you soon. Cheers, Jason 🙌

[@cush_and_the_crew]

Brilliant video . Really fun to watch and great test on the tent.

[@durstongear]

Thanks for the kind words and for putting this together. Looks like some fun weather :)

[@RamblingOn]

No worries I'll do a full review after I have used it in different conditions. The weather in Ireland likes to keep us on our toes just to keep it interesting 😄

[@colinhalpin2076]

Fabulous looking tent and held up well in the wind. Nice footage early in the morning with light in tent.

[@RamblingOn]

Yep it is a stunner, hopefully I can take it back out soon 🤞

[@craigrobertson6082]

Great video again, mate. I see the typical Irish winter weather was not wanting to give you a break!

[@RamblingOn]

The weather rarely gives me a break as you will see in next weeks video also 😄 I'm still hoping for some snow before the weather warms up for Spring 🤞

[@spencerw9405]

Fantastic video, came for the xmid, subscribed for the personality!

[@RamblingOn]

Cheers Spencer 👍

[@nialloutdoors]

Nice one Jason 👌 That tent definitely seems to be hitting all the main points for everyone I've seen using one 👍

[@RamblingOn]

It's pretty class to be fair, I'm looking forward to getting back out in it. I will be following your audax training 👍

[@derrickmurphy9859]

Great camp cheers,it's so easy to freak yourself out when camping on your own.Great review on tent.

[@RamblingOn]

Cheers Derrick, more of an overview. I'll do a review after I've used it a few times but I'm well impressed so far 😁

[@dessiegriffin3212]

liking the tent Ted.Glad your happy with it

[@RamblingOn]

Cheers Ted, it's pretty good

[@soletrail]

Brilliant video Pal.. Christ you genuinely looked nervous when that sound went off. So weird. Could be an echo from a local farm. Taking pot shots at a light on the hill 🤣 it's such a good tent isn't it. You got some savage shots. . Brilliant.its a great spot you got as well.

[@RamblingOn]

My best guess is that it was just sound travelling up through the valley from a farm below but it was about 10:30pm and I heard some other noises afterwards so who knows. It definitely freaked me out 😅

[@hugokeys602]

Another great video...really informative an very enjoyable!

[@RamblingOn]

Cheers Hugo 🙌

[@Phil_adventures]

It's great to see you out camping mate 👍🏻 👌🏻

[@RamblingOn]

Thanks very much Phil, I'm back out later tonight too. I'll be trying out some new filming techniques to see if I can improve the videos and I've a few new bits to test. Have a good weekend 👍⛺

[@Phil_adventures]

Thank you. Your videos are spot on as always, jay. Have a great camp tonight 👌🏻

[@HillHyker]

Sorry Jason, but that opening line. I just had to laugh. Brilliant review. Excellent commentary. Great to see you out camping and drinking loads of tea. Didn't see you for weeks, was starting to wonder where you were. Looking forward to next video already. Keep up the good work. 👍

[@RamblingOn]

Ah I've just been struggling to get time to get the editing done. Life has been a bit busy lately. I'm back out again tonight for a different style of filming so let know what you think when you see it. I also have a very wild hike for next weeks video. The weather was a bit crazy at the start but it was class. Have a good weekend 👍⛺

[@HillHyker]

@@RamblingOn I'll be looking forward to these next videos. Let's hope you don't hear any strange sounds in the night. But let's face it, if you camp in strange haunted places you're bound to have strange experiences🤫. In the meantime, heres hoping for a peaceful night on the hills. 🍀👍

[@nickydaly7116]

Thanks so much for putting this review out, I’m chasing a 2 man solid, but was concerned with wind tolerance on a trekking pole tent vs our current MSR. I’m hoping it will cope with anything North Yorkshire will throw at it 😂

[@RamblingOn]

The main thing with trekking pole tents is that the tension of the flysheet really impacts the structural stability of the tent. So I would say to make sure that you have some decent tent pegs that are solid anchors especially in soft ground, that way you can really tighten down the guy lines and it makes such a huge difference. I'd imagine it would perform just as well as your MSR, it did well in stronger wind on this other trip if you want to check that out kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3-6Znywn52XgLM

[@leeprice674]

Good video Jason thanks for sharing. Osprey bag is very good isn't it. The tent is awesome and very solid. It's so light but is a different class to the LanShan tents I think. Only a spork to defend yourself is brilliant 😂 Good to see the rain and wind in your video as its been a while 😂 Have a great week 👍

[@RamblingOn]

I haven't been getting along with the Osprey Exos to be honest. I'm not sure if it's a sizing issues or what but I rather my Decathlon bag 😄 I'd struggle to pack my lanshans now that I have this tent, so we will see what happens there. The rain seems to follow me wherever I go, enjoy the week 👍

[@HikingIrishMountain]

Great video Jason, my X-mid2 is coming next week 😀

[@RamblingOn]

Excellent 😁 The very best of luck with it, hopefully it will be perfect for your trip 🤞

[@grahamscothern4319]

Nice Vid mate 👍 keep looking at that tent. And I love your Abisko 1. Both tents I would love. Cheers Graham

[@RamblingOn]

I would chose the Durston over the Abisko for the headroom alone. The Abisko is a beautiful tent but it's just too low for me. I'll be parting ways with it this year to be able to invest a few bob back into the channel. If you're interested let me know and we can get in touch by email when I'm letting it go

[@barryfrombarnsley2790]

Like everyone else, been eyeing up the X-mids as well. Good to see it working for you in our mucky conditions this side of the Atlantic. The standard 1p and 2p look to finally have good availablity now (as long as you don't mind ordering from the US), with the Pro line still coming out in 2 batches a year. Waiting to see how people get on with the Pro 1p, because that could be ideal for summer tramping it, with the 1p solid for the muckier weather.

[@RamblingOn]

I haven't looked into the Pro version much but it would be very interesting so see their solid version put up beside the Pro. I reckon the best value for money is in the Solid version because you can use it in most conditions. Id be very interested to hear how you get on with the Pro if you decide to pick one up. I'm sure its a cracking tent

[@barryfrombarnsley2790]

@@RamblingOn 100% agree, the standard models offer way more bang for the buck, the DCF version is roughly double the price, but also half the weight. That's why I'm waiting on seeing long(ish) term reviews first - its a lot of money. Waiting on the next lot of Pros, if I get itchy fingers I could always pull the trigger on a 1p (mesh or solid). Will be following your progress, see how you get on with the solid Edit: removed speculation about next batch date thanks to Dan's comments below

[@durstongear]

@@barryfrombarnsley2790 Thanks for the interest Barry. We'll have more of the Pro 2 around April and the Pro 1 in April or May (still chasing a few suppliers to deliver the final materials).

[@barryfrombarnsley2790]

@@durstongear thanks for that! Am I correct on the 2 batches a year, roughly 6 months apart? I will edit my comment with a correction

[@durstongear]

@@barryfrombarnsley2790 It is about 2 batches a year but they are both timed around the spring. We have one batch around Jan/Feb and the second around April/May, so that we can hopefully have enough stock to last through quite a bit of the summer. We just sold out of the first batch, but the second batch is not too far off (8-10 weeks).

[@whatsnottohike]

Ah you're making me jealous with that tent! Still on the look out for one that doesn't cost a mortgage with taxes added. Great spot you had and I imagine those noises was just the alien activity that is pretty common these days 😂 what pants are those you have? Cheers Jason, I look forward to your next one.

[@RamblingOn]

🤣 I'm happy to say that I didn't have a look out to see what the noise was. I prefer to remain blissfully unaware 👽 Those are the updated British army softie trousers. They are class, I popped a link in the description for them. It's not affiliate but the company never let me down. I order all my military gear from them

[@PaulKazLily]

I christened my Xmid 1 solid at the weekend in Snowdonia. Babies Heads made for an interesting pitch in the clag. Well chuffed with how it held up, I think we were getting 40-45mph gusts. A bit like yourself there, the moist air created a bit of condensation but hey ho.

[@RamblingOn]

That tent seems to attract the Clag. I had it out last night and the same thing happened 😄 Snowdonia looks class, I'd love to camp there

[@tomshort6611]

I've put this tent through severe thunderstorms in the mid west in Wisconsin as long as you have the guide lines staked out wide enough so the tent poles dont budge and the tent low to the ground I have had no problems in high winds and torrential rain falls and thunderstorms. Without the guide lines staked out to keep the tent much more sturdy it is scary in high wind. It does not handle condensation well on the inside of the rainflly so you need to let the sun and wind hit it in the afternoon to dry it out which is my only complaint. But it is a ultralight tent so its not built for alpine high winds. But severe weather it handles it just fine. I use the z flick poles because I'm bikepacking not hiking. I think the trekking poles would be able to handle much more. I have never got wet during the thunderstorms while inside my tent. I absolutely love it and glad I purchased one. I streched it out too much a few times staking out the tent but it still holding up just fine. For the price it's very hard to find a tent that hits as many boxes as this does. Id rather buy 3 of these over buying 1 dyneema tent. The dyneema seem to have big problems with tape seams. Unless your shelling out 1k usd to buy a quality hyperlight dyneema i dont see the point.

[@RamblingOn]

Everytime I take my xmid out for a spin I get bad weather. I've yet to take it out on a fine sunny day 😄 I don't think I would ever pitch it without using the guylines, the weather can change quite quickly here in Ireland so it's better to stay on the safe side. Cheers for your comment, I love hearing about other people's experiences with different bits of gear. Hopefully it serves you well for years to come 🍀

[@karlk9316]

My understanding is that the DCF seams are welded on the Durston X-Mid Pro 1 and 2 tents, not taped.

[@cahillp3]

Excellent my man. Really great to see you out.

[@RamblingOn]

Cheers Paul, hopefully it wont be long till the next one 🤞

[@cahillp3]

@@RamblingOn Im buying a MSR Elixir 1 tent. It should be with me soon. Should you ever wish to take lend and try it out for a video idea you are most welcome to it. It would be nice im sure to get experience of as many types of tents as you can, Paul

[@RamblingOn]

@@cahillp3 thanks a mill Paul I really appreciate it 🙌

[@cahillp3]

Only happy too man. I’m not too far away from kinnity/clonaslee side there so have you an email and I’ll send my contact If you ever wish to try it out.

[@RamblingOn]

@@cahillp3 that's savage. Yep it's [e-mail]

[@Ottawa9one9]

The noises were the creepy lad who hiked behind your camp at night a few months back 😳 Love the tent. The 1p Pro is on my shortlist for my next tent.

[@RamblingOn]

I'm just happy I caught it on an audio recording. Otherwise I would have been convinced it was my mind playing tricks. I'd say those tents will be very hard to get. Hopefully you will get your hands on one 🤞

[@MiriamKennedy]

Great to see the tent holding up in that wind and rain Jason 😉 A lovely spot to spend the night out with the elements 😍

[@Grangeburn]

You have tested yours Miriam. Will a Brompton fit in one of the porches?

[@MiriamKennedy]

@@Grangeburn Hi Michael - it definitely looks like the Brompton will fit in one of the porches but I haven’t tried it yet. I bought separate poles to use when I have the bike with me rather than my hiking poles too. I still would have preferred the 2 person version though for the space inside and minimal weight penalty 😉 The 2 porches make it very possible for use with the bike for sure!

[@RamblingOn]

It was a bit dodge heading up there with the wind that was forecast. I'm happy that I found the one sliver of flat ground on that side of the mountain 😄 All is well that ends well

[@victorkonstantin]

That was so epic. I'm considering to buy this tent to use it for winter backpacking. Nice to see it in action in some inclement weather. I noticed that you used a nice windshield for your canister stove. Do you mind sharing what brand is it. Really need one of those. Thank you.

[@RamblingOn]

No worries, it's a little optimus windshield here is a link amzn.to/3wAnnJo

[@rowland-g]

Great video, thx. Inner and fly both have two-way zips right? How was your experience of ordering from Ca?

[@RamblingOn]

Each door on the inner has two zips but the outside doors only have one zip. Those are not a two way zip to the best of my knowledge. It arrived pretty quickly, I think it was about 2 weeks so I was delighted.

[@rossfehily5354]

Nice spot in the Galtees. This tent is doing well for it's weight

[@RamblingOn]

I don't know how they managed to get it so light, it didn't move much in the wind so happy days

[@rossfehily5354]

@@RamblingOn splendid. Is this tent only available online in Ireland? Looks idea for mountain hiking

[@RamblingOn]

@@rossfehily5354 as far as I know it's only available online no matter where in the world you are. I could be wrong but I haven't heard of anywhere outside of the US that you can purchase them at the moment

[@gregoryoutdoors]

Amazing man, lucky you! Wish I have one too but with tax and all cost its a bit much for me. Thinking of Hex Peak v4a instead as its 2x or more cheaper. Anyway, good stuff.

[@RamblingOn]

It would be amazing if there was a way to source them in Europe to void the customs charges. The V4a looks like an excellent tent, I've seen them handle some pretty serious winds on other channels. Any shelter that's going to keep you safe and dry is all you need

[@gregoryoutdoors]

@@RamblingOn Yeah Im thinking of getting it as its a bit bigger and vestibule then Lanshan 1 Plus and goes together with my 4 season mesh from it so thats great. Im wondering how much you payed with all the tax etc for X Mid but guessing over €400, you got footprint too for it? Will be nice to see more vid in syrong winds etc I may get one day depends.

[@texmexia49]

Great video, just got this for my AT hike!

[@RamblingOn]

That is class, fair play. I've seen a few videos of people on the AT and it looks epic, all the very best of luck from myself here in Ireland 🇮🇪 The X-mid will be a nice home away from home for you

[@texmexia49]

@@RamblingOn thank you. I’m still wondering if I should have purchased the mesh inner to prevent condensation, but I’m a cold sleeper so I went with the solid.

[@RamblingOn]

@@texmexia49 The condensation I had in this camp and the next is purely due to the weather conditions. Mesh inner or not, there would have been condensation. The solid sides will keep any cold draughts off you and in my opinion the X-mid solid seems to be the best all round Xmid with some improvements for the worst of the weather. For what it is worth, I think that you made the right decision.

[@texmexia49]

@@RamblingOn thank you, I was a little worried. Some folks think it my be too hot and create condensation on the AT. So many variables with the weather, but when it comes down to it, I’d always rather be hot than cold. Thanks for the quick reply. Love your vids, beautiful shots and areas.

[@joanahern8638]

Thanks!

[@RamblingOn]

Joan thank you so much, you are a gem. Thank you 🙌🍀

[@chuterence]

Thanks for the great vid! Do you have any tips on packing up a wet and rain-soaked X-Mid? Doing the West Highland Way in Oct. so Im expecting early morning starts in rainy weather

[@RamblingOn]

There are a few things that you could do. I would get a 10 or 12 litre dry bag to use instead of the original stuff sack. That will make it faster and easier to get the tent packed away, you could even stuff the tent in instead of rolling it up. If it is raining in the morning you could pack up all of your gear inside the tent, detach the inner of the tent and get that packed away so that all you have left is the outer fly sheet. That will help to keep the inner as dry as possible and give you more time out of the elements. I would close up my backpack and have it ready to go. Then I would take down the outer fly sheet, pop it into a dry bag and strap it to the outside of my backpack just to make it nice an quick. Something else that is handy is having a sponge cloth, you can get them in Tesco and they are excellent at soaking up water so work well for wiping down condensation or dew off a tent. Best of luck with your hike, It will be class 👍🍀

[@chuterence]

@@RamblingOn Thanks so much for the detailed advice! Brilliant idea on detaching the inner while keeping the fly up. Really happy this design is incorporated into the Xmid. Will use this method on the hike--appreciate the response!

[@chuterence]

@@RamblingOn just wanted to stop by after completing my WHW hike last week. I followed your suggestion and it worked flawlessly. It was absolutely pouring and gale-ing most nights, and some mornings, but the method you mentioned did so well. and kept the inside of the tent bone dry. All I had to deal with was a wet fly after getting packed up but that was easy to stuff into the dry sack and lash onto the outside of the pack. Cheers mate

[@stuartchester6899]

I bought the X mid solid , ended up selling that on for nearly same price unused and bought the X mid pro dyneema version..I can t carry too heavy a pack on multi day walks and need the weight reduction.also bought Dans Zflik poles as they are much lighter than trekking poles , 190 grms a pair .Nice vid and well presented..so what was that bang do you think ?. Car backfiring ? Inside a tent at night is odd, I had a bad night when i heard these strong thumping sounds really close to my tent ..turned out to be Hares in the breeding season

[@RamblingOn]

Did you have a chance to pitch the Solid? Just curious what your impressions are in comparison to the Pro version... The poles are a good idea if you don't use trekking poles or want to use the tent for bikepacking. I reckon that the noise was a loud bang from a farm down the valley and the sound just travelled up my way somehow. To be honest I will never know and I have camped around that area before. I have never heard a peep. There are hares up there and I actually saw one that evening, I've never heard them thumping but I'll keep that in mind for future reference. It's like a fox scream, if you don't know what that is then it's enough to make you want to cry 🤣

[@stuartchester6899]

@@RamblingOn not pitched it .I knew I wanted the Dyneema version but it was nt available when I ordered the solid .I ve seen dozens of KZbin vids about it and I can see an easy pitcher ..it's going to be a doddle after my last one.Terra Nova laser pulse 1 man ..no room at all in it and very difficult to pitch .The Pro 1 has not arrived yet..due in about a week..weighs less than 500 gr .

[@penman8985]

Great review. I’m considering this tent. Does it come with guy lines already attached and is it all seam sealed prior to delivery? ATB - Simon

[@RamblingOn]

Hey Simon, There is two guylines supplied, one for each peak. They are the 2mm guyline, so you will need additional guyline if you intend to use the side guy out point, any guyline will do the job. The seams are fully taped so you don't have to worry about seam sealing, which is ideal. Take her handy man 🍀

[@RobboElRobbo]

i took this tent to iceland and a couple of nights it was too windy for this tent. i thought i pitched it as good as i could but some gusts still blew this tent on its ass and i ended up curling up in the back of the little rental car lol

[@RamblingOn]

That's the last thing that you want. Did you have the extra tie outs done too? What a nightmare, I hope the car was cosy 😂

[@RobboElRobbo]

@@RamblingOn yeah i used everything. i'm surprised you havent found wind this intense in ireland but maybe iceland winds are next level

[@davebirds5667]

Hey Jason Great video btw. What pegs were you using with this tent please? Thanks Dave

[@RamblingOn]

Hey Dave, these are the pegs www.woodtowater.co.uk/product/naturehike-aluminium-alloy-spiral-cyclone-tent-peg-15cm-or-25cm/ The ones that I use are 25cm long

[@trickofthetrail]

Nice video mate, I've just got the Xmid 2 and am taking it out next weekend for its first run. What's your thoughts about it holding up in 50mph gusts? That's what's currently forecast. 🙈 I've subbed to your channel. 👍

[@RamblingOn]

I don't fancy your chances 😄 I wouldn't even want to be out in those conditions let alone my new tent. Let me know how you get on if you decide to go, I think I'd be giving it a miss 😄 Cheers for the sub 👍

[@trickofthetrail]

@@RamblingOn I thought you might say something like that. 😂 Fingers crossed the weather changes. If not my video will be titled something along the lines of "Epic Wild Camp Fail, New Xmid Destroyed in 50mph winds - Didn't listen to Jason" 🤣

[@RamblingOn]

@@trickofthetrail 😄 as much as I would love to see that title, I'd rather you keep yourself and your new tent safe. Hopefully the forecast improves by the weekend 🤞

[@lukewaite09]

What are those convertible gloves are you useing ?

[@RamblingOn]

The are mittens from decathlon. Nice and handy to use, softshell too so they are great at eliminating the affects of the wind chill on your hands

[@simondavies1983]

Any idea what the cost was in import taxes etc ? And shipping ?

[@RamblingOn]

The shipping isn't too bad but the customs and import tax... I reckon you would have to add on 30% to the current value of the tent to get a ball park figure.

[@markfarren7016]

Where were you please? Great video thanks.

[@RamblingOn]

Cheers Mark, this was the Galtees 👍

[@BeyondThePaleBC]

Can I just ask is this paid promotion or did you get the tent for free? The review is _very_ glowing and I see the manufacturers are in your timeline too.

[@RamblingOn]

Hi PJ, just to clarify this video is not a review. This was my first time to use the Xmid so it would be unfair of me to review it without using it and seeing how it holds up in different conditions over a period of time. To answer your question this is not a paid promotion and I did not receive anything for free. When I review the tent I will give my own honest opinions derived from my experience with my tent. Everything good and bad will be highlighted. Apologies if you found the video misleading but I didn't say anything that wasn't true on the night.

[@TheAdventuringFoodie]

What headlamp are you using?

[@RamblingOn]

That was an Armytek wizard C2

[@Nastja3000]

More tents that I see, more I like my VIK 1.

[@randomdude6136]

When I start complaining about the weather in us rockies, I go straight to a UK video.

[@RamblingOn]

🤣 The UK get it pretty rough, although I reckon here in Ireland we get the brunt of it being right next to the Atlantic.

[@randomdude6136]

@@RamblingOn lol. Fair enough.

[@laughing-knees]

Could it be that the noises you were hearing were rams butting heads?

[@RamblingOn]

Anything is possible.. I'm not sure what it was, I have camped in those mountains a good few times and I have never heard a noise like that before. Your guess is as good as mine

[@Sonjaorleans]

Sasquatch ​@@RamblingOn

[@TheWtfnonamez]

It seems like an amazing tent.....but I own a lot of tents. I have a £20 tent which I got from my weekly online supermarket home delivery. It surpasses the Durston tents in EVERY regard apart from weight.... and I camp in the Scottish Highlands so my tents get put through the wringer. Durston tents are basically about paying £200 over the odds for something that is super light AND you have to provide your own trekking poles to put it up. If you cant get fitter and stronger enough to carry an extra 1kg then buy a Durston tent. They are not "good", they are just very "light".

[@RamblingOn]

Have you had a chance to try the X-mid?

[@yourmomsmonkey]

what's that little camping light you're using?

[@RamblingOn]

It's a Naturehike Blackdog camping lantern, a copy of the goal zero

[@yourmomsmonkey]

@@RamblingOn cool, thanks!